Changing jobs
Weigh whether to stay or go
A simple exercise to see which way you're leaning on staying or leaving, and what would tip it
Answer a few honest questions about where the company's going, whether you're growing, and your manager, then notice which way your answers lean.
- 30 minutes
- Just you
- Once
- Worksheet
Why this can work
Staying or going usually isn't one big decision but a handful of signals that don't all agree. Answering honestly about alignment, growth and your manager shows you which way you're leaning, and what it would take to tip it. You don't have to decide today; you just need to know where you stand.
Read moreHow to decide whether to stay at your job or leave
You’ll come away with a lean, stay or go or not yet, and the one thing that would tip it.
- Write short, honest answers.
One sitting, about half an hour. Start with what you love about the job and what you'd happily drop, then answer the questions on alignment, growth and your manager. First instinct, then a second look.
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Tip: Answer about the job you have today, not the one you had a year ago or the one you were promised.
- Mark each answer stay, go, or unsure.
Read each answer back and ask which way it points. Unsure is an honest mark, not a failure to decide.
- Notice the lean, and weigh it.
Counting isn't the point. One strong go on growth can outweigh three mild stays. Look for the answer that made you feel something as you wrote it; it's usually the one doing the deciding.
- Name what would tip it.
Whichever way you lean, what would have to happen to make you sure? A real path to the next role, a new manager, a project you'd love, a conversation you haven't had yet. That's your next step.
- Pick a date to look again.
Six to eight weeks is often about right. Answer the same questions again then, without looking at this round first. What stays the same across both is the signal.
Good times to repeat it: when you can't stop wonderingonce a year, as a checkafter a big change at work
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Deciding to stay, for reasons you can name, feels very different from not getting around to leaving. It can change how you show up the next morning.
What might make this harder
Note your mood at the top before you start. An answer written on a hard day still counts, but give it less weight than one written on an ordinary one.
Questions people ask
How do I decide whether to stay at my job or leave?
Look at a few signals separately: whether you believe in where the company is going, whether you're still growing, and whether your manager supports what you want. Notice which way they lean, and what would tip them.
What are the signs it's time to leave a job?
They tend to be steady rather than sudden: you've stopped learning, the next step here isn't one you want, or you no longer believe in the direction. One bad week isn't a sign; a pattern across months usually is.
Is it bad to stay at the same job for a long time?
Not in itself. Staying works well when you're still growing and the work still fits. It tends to become a problem when you stay only because leaving feels hard.
What if I can't decide whether to quit?
You don't have to decide yet. Name which way you lean and what would settle it, then look again in six to eight weeks.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Staying and leaving both get treated like verdicts, as if one were loyal and the other brave. They're closer to bets. You're weighing where your next few years are most likely to go well, with information that's always incomplete. That's why it rarely feels obvious, and why it's fine for the honest answer to be it depends.
Starting from what you love and what you'd drop keeps the questions tied to the job you actually have, rather than to an idea of a better one. The answers rarely line up neatly, and that's the useful part. A clear go on growth next to a clear stay on your manager tells you something specific: the problem may be what you're working on, not who you're working for. That points to different moves than a general sense that it's time. Mixed answers are often a map, not a muddle.
This works when you have some time. If you're holding an offer with a deadline, there isn't time for a slow lean. The fairer comparison is simpler: that offer against the two or three things that matter most to you.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Changing jobs
Know what you actually want
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See how Truest worksAlready a member? Log in- The longer sessionCareer Compass is the guided session for working out what you want next.
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.